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Rohit Utmani
Vice President of Product - App Bazaar - Tech Speaker - Leading Product Management at Largest Indigenous App Store with 200 Million Users
Professional Background
Rohit Utmani currently serves as the Head of Product at Indus App Bazaar, also known as #IndiaKaAppStore. Indus App Bazaar is a pioneering Android app store focused on the unique needs of the Indian market and runs Samsung's default app store, Galaxy Store, on all Indian smartphones. With over 250 million users, Indus App Bazaar serves 1 in every 3 Indian users, showcasing its significance in the Indian digital ecosystem. Under Rohit’s visionary leadership and pragmatic execution, the platform has undergone four major product life cycles, experiencing an astonishing 30-fold user growth and achieving a remarkable milestone of over 1 billion app downloads within five years. Currently, he is spearheading critical verticals such as Product Growth, Ad Revenue, Indian OEM Partnerships, and Global Expansion for both IndusOS and Indus App Bazaar.
Notably, Rohit played a pivotal role in establishing a groundbreaking partnership between Indus App Bazaar and Samsung Galaxy Store in India—marking Samsung Global's first-ever deep product collaboration in this region. This innovative partnership led to IndusOS becoming the first investment for Samsung Ventures in India, which is a testament to Rohit's impactful role in driving strategic initiatives within the Indian startup landscape.
Education and Achievements
Rohit's academic background is robust and prestigious, having obtained a Bachelor's Degree in Chemical Engineering (Honors) from the renowned Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, where he demonstrated academic excellence with an impressive CGPA of 8.9. He furthered his education by pursuing a Master’s Degree in Management at the esteemed London Business School (LBS), enriching his understanding of global business dynamics and management strategies. After completing his master's in 2015, Rohit responded to the Make in India initiative and transitioned back to India’s startup ecosystem, eager to leverage his education and skills in product management.
He embarked on his professional journey in product management at Housing.com, a major player in the Indian real estate market. Rohit has successfully led significant breakthroughs in product management innovation across various sectors in the Indian startup space. His experience spans the real estate market with Housing.com, the wedding and hospitality markets with Weddingz.in, and ultimately leading to his current role where he is building IndusOS—the homegrown Indian operating system—and Indus App Bazaar. This journey has been marked by a solid commitment to enhancing user experience, bringing innovative solutions to the market, and championing Indian entrepreneurship.
Achievements
One of Rohit's many notable achievements includes establishing a robust revenue model for IndusOS and Indus App Bazaar from inception to development and scaling, ultimately leading the organization toward operational profitability in July 2020, six months ahead of the target date. This accomplishment not only illustrates his foresight and strategic thinking but also reinforces his ability to align product development with business objectives effectively.
Rohit's expertise extends beyond product management; he possesses exceptional negotiating skills and is a charismatic leader who inspires teams to achieve excellence. His deep understanding of the nuances of product building and management allows him to evaluate and project product metrics and hypotheses confidently. Moreover, his strong engineering background enables him to engage in technical discussions, providing valuable insights that contribute to the success of his team's initiatives.
Rohit continues to lead Indus App Bazaar and IndusOS with a vision to revolutionize the app ecosystem in India and empower local developers, ensuring that the platform is inclusive and responsive to the needs of a diverse user base. His achievements, leadership qualities, and industry impact make him a prominent figure in the Indian startup ecosystem, and he is set on a path to further successes in the years to come.
